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Wednesday, July 31

A rare bee that was sentenced to death by the UK government because it posed a threat to British species has escaped. The insect, which is thought to be from the osmia avosetta species of mason bee, was discovered in Bristol after a family apparently brought it back in their luggage from Turkey. When the British Beekeepers Association learned of the discovery, they warned it could have a “devastating effect” on British bees. The Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) had announced plans to capture and kill the insect. However, the family who found it revealed on Tuesday that the bee had taken flight before anyone could catch it. The bee had been constructing cocoons out of flower petals in the Toy family’s conservatory since they returned from a trip to Dalaman, Turkey. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), part of Defra, has said it is planning to collect the cocoons for DNA testing."We are taking prompt action to collect any cocoons from the house which will be then assessed by experts,” the APHA said."We continue to work with the National Bee Unit and their nationwide network of bee inspectors to monitor the situation."The APHA has asked anyone who has seen a potentially non-native bee to report it to a local beekeeping association. The Toy family said they thought the bee, which is generally found in Turkey and the Middle East, made its way into their suitcases while they were on holiday. However, they only discovered the insect when Ashley Toy found a petal cocoon in their home in Bristol. Osmia avosetta bees are notable for the use of flower petals to construct nests for larvae, which was first observed by two research teams in Turkey and Iran on the same day in 2009. The Toy family's case is thought to be the first time this type of mason bee has been found in the UK. Experts have warned that the insect could endanger British bees by spreading viruses to native species, or by multiplying and eventually outcompeting British species. When asked about the decision to kill the bee, Amelia Toy, a 19-year-old family member, said: "Well I know since they said it could possibly harm other bees that it had to be done, as harsh as it sounds."Obviously, we're going to listen to their advice. My family aren't the experts.“We don't really have knowledge of bees, so we obviously have to listen to them."

Scientists at the University of California San Diego have invented a contact lens that allows the user to 'zoom' in there might be a new substitute for those who need help with sight, thanks to a discovery by some scientists. According to New Scientist, scientists at the University of California have created a new contact lense. It also works as simply as blinking to 'zoom in'.The soft robotic contact lens is controlled by eye movements carrying signals from the eye to the lens itself. It could potentially be used in the future for visual prosthetics, remotely operated robots, and even adjustable glasses. The new lens seems like something straight from a sci-fi movie!

A model fanatic has completed a stunning matchstick replica of the front of Salisbury Cathedral using 730,000 matchsticks. Barry King began the painstaking project in 2013 but downed tools when he became distracted by a long-term relationship. But after the couple split up last year he found time to resume his hobby and has finished building the west front of the iconic Gothic building. The 49-year-old maintenance man's ultimate aim is to recreate the entire cathedral using a record six million matchsticks by 2028. When complete it will measure 15ft by 9ft. For now, he is about the show off the first phase of the epic project - the 3ft by 2ft west front - when it will go on public display in the city from August 19. Barry, from Amesbury, Wiltshire, said: 'I started the project in earnest over six years ago and progress was good to start with.' But when I got into a relationship I found I wasn't able to devote a lot of time to it.' It wasn't the case that my old girlfriend wouldn't let me do the model I just found that a lot of my evenings and weekends were taken up.' Since the relationship ended I've been able to dedicate a lot more time to the model.' I do work full time but I spend my weekends and a few hours every evening flat out on it.' As well as three-quarters-of-a-million matchsticks, Barry has used 40 litres of glue and spent about £6,000 constructing the elaborate western facade of the historic building. He is aiming to break the record for the world's biggest matchstick model which was set by David Reynolds, from Southampton, in 2009. David spent 15 years and £5,000 creating a replica of the Brent Bravo oil rig using four million matches. Barry, who has never built a matchstick model before, will have spent £10,000 when he is finished. The work requires a huge amount of intricate detail including using tweezers and a craft knife to whittle the matchsticks to the right size and shape. Barry said: 'Since I started the project I've used 40 litres of Evo Stick glue and spent around £6,000 on materials and tools.' Thankfully once they heard what I was doing Evo Stick gave me 24 litres of free glue which has been amazing.' He added: 'This has always been something I want to be known for doing.' I've been doing it for six-and-a-half years and I don't think it will be done for another eight or nine years.' I really enjoy doing it and I'm now really excited that it's going on display.' It will be on show at Salisbury Guildhall every day between August 19 and August 23 and then again between August 27 and August 29. Admission is free but Barry is taking donations for the Stars Appeal - Salisbury District Hospital's charity.

It's no secret that the key to a perky bum is to squat until you can squat no more. But two students from China have proven that too much exercise in one go can actually be detrimental to your health. The two best friends were reportedly competing with each other on a video call, which saw them both squat continuously for over three hours. After a few days, both girls started to feel unwell and were taken to hospital, both diagnosed with a condition that can sometimes be fatal, caused by muscle injury. One of the girls, Tang, 19, ended up in Emergency Intensive Care. She told medics that she and her friend carried out the challenge earlier this month. As reported by Chinese publication, Chongqing Evening News, Tang is a university student in Chongqing while her best friend lives in the province of Guangdong.

Tang told the paper that she and her friend were doing a video call on 10 July and they wanted to see which one of them had better stamina so, of course, they decided to take it in turns to do squats to find out who could do 1,000. As reported by Daily Mail, Tang wasn't used to exercising and yet the two friends spontaneously decided to set the challenge - which they both completed. The university student said that for the first two days, she felt OK. Then on the third, she fell ill. "I didn't feel right as soon as I woke up. First of all, my legs felt achy and sore. What's more? I couldn't bend them," she told Chongqing Evening News."Afterwards, I went to the toilet and saw my urine was as dark as tea," she added. Tang had to be carried into the hospital because she felt so weak and it turned out that she had a muscle injury known as rhabdomyolysis, which occurs when muscles are injured and they release their contents, including a muscle enzyme, into the bloodstream. Doctor Li Ning at the medical centre said: "The patient's level of myoglobin was so high it exceeded the highest reading on the medical device."The condition can occur after a fall or car crash, electrical shock injury, lightning strike, third-degree burn, the use of illegal drugs, heatstroke, bacterial infections or periods of extreme exercise. It has three common symptoms: muscle swelling, muscle weakness and dark urine. Doctors warn against doing too much strenuous exercise.

And now the supernatural missing plane drama Manifest will *finally* be available to watch in Ireland - as of tonight. The American TV series has drawn a number of comparisons to Lost and The Leftovers since it was released in North America late last year. The 16-episode first season will debut on Sky One tonight [July 30] at 9pm. It will also be available on streaming service NOW TV. Manifest tells the story of Montego Air Flight 828 - and its 191 passengers - that goes missing mid-flight only to reappear five and half years later. But for the rest of their world - including their friends and families - a lot has changed. Friends and family have given up hope of finding their ‘missing’ loved ones, so they’ve mourned their losses and begun to move on. But suddenly, everyone has seemingly been given a second chance - and they begin to wonder if a miracle has really happened. Pretty soon, the mystery starts to unfold and the ‘survivors’ realise that they might be destined for something greater than they ever thought possible. Manifest stars Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina and Parveen Kaur. In April, it was announced that Manifest had been renewed for a second season at broadcaster NBC. Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, co-presidents of scripted programming, NBC Entertainment, said in a statement to Variety: “In just its first season, ‘Manifest’ has answered many questions about the mystery of Flight 828 and, smartly, asks many more.“Congratulations to Jeff Rake, our producers, cast and crew who have created an incredibly addictive series with compelling characters and complex relationships.”

Over 350 million trees were planted in Ethiopia over the course of 24 hours in a bid to crackdown on deforestation. The move, encouraged by the country's prime minister Abiy Ahmed, is a reaction to Ethiopia's problematic history of mass deforestation and unsustainable farming. The country surpassed its initial goal of 200 million trees planted in one day earlier this week. They are planning on planting up to four billion between now and October as part of their climate change action campaign. The movement, 'Green Legacy', hopes to recover the Ethiopian landscape and encourage people, businesses, and farmers to promote a more ethical and sustainable approach to living."Congratulations Ethiopia for not only meeting our collective green legacy goal but also exceeding it" tweeted prime minster Ahmed following the achievement on Monday. He also shared a detailed plan of Green Legacy, showing exactly how many trees were planted around each region.#GreenLegacy, for a greener and cleaner Ethiopia, is a national go green campaign," reads the plan."... Endeavouring to raise the public’s awareness of Ethiopia’s frightening environmental degradation and educate society on the importance of adopting green behaviour."The plan lists its key goals as advancing social capital, improving health, preserving wildlife, supporting agriculture, and protecting clean water. You can find out more about Ethiopia's Green Legacy plan here.

In Friday night's episode, the Islanders were told they had to secretly select the least compatible couple. After a lot of deliberation, it was revealed that Maura Higgins and Curtis Pritchard had received two votes; and so did Ovie Soko and India Reynolds. Belle Hassan and Anton Danyluk received one vote, which meant they were also up to be dumped from the villa. And Love Island fans reckon it will be Maura Higgins and Curtis Pritchard who are packing their bags tomorrow night after their fellow Islanders revealed their secret rows. Belle Hassan and Anton Danyluk received one vote, which meant they were also up to be dumped from the villa. And Love Island fans reckon it will be Maura Higgins and Curtis Pritchard who are packing their bags tomorrow night after their fellow Islanders revealed their secret rows.

Annette@Annette21552861

Funny how every couple mentioned Maura and Curtis rows, that hasn’t been screened #LoveIsland.

Linda Holmes@Lindao7

Going by last night's show Curtis & Maura seem to be fighting a lot, that we aren't been showing #LoveIsland.

Dave Allan@sulaco66

Replying to @LoveIsland

Are the rows between Maura & Curtis that bad that they can’t be shown? Producers must think it would influence the public vote. The fact all the other couples mentioned the rows proves it. They are a “pretend” couple & Maura’s frustration with him is plain to see. They need to go.

Anthea@RavinEmerald

Maura and Curtis bickering Seems like the honeymoon phase is over for them. I wonder if they last in the outside world? My guess is no.

ladidadi@ladidadi100

I'd rather Anton and Belle stay than Maura and Curtis, i don't see it at all b/w Maura and Curtis at least not from Curtis.

Tyne-lexy

✔@tynelexyclarson

Anton and belle shouldn’t even be in the bottom three. They only received 1 vote where as the other two couples received 2 votes ... sounds abit dodgey to me. Bet Anton and belle go home.

Lucy@LucyWilde15

I hope it’s curtis and Maura. Don’t want to see him in the final.

bellasprout@KonataBella

Curtis needs to go HOME, I love Maura but I just don’t see it working between them.

A man was carried on the front of a car and dumped into a lamp post in a hit and run being investigated by police. Dramatic footage of the incident in Newcastle Groat Market today emerged following reports of a fight 'involving a number of individuals'.The video posted online shows a woman in front of the vehicle in an angry altercation with the driver. Dressed in shorts, and a black top, she hits the windscreen with her shoe as she shouts furiously at two men seen climbing back into the black Ford. The driver revs the engine, knocking her out of the way as he mounts the pavement and a man runs towards her to help. The pedestrian, in a black T-shirt and blue jeans, is seen remonstrating with the driver. But the car mounts the pavement again at high speed, carrying the man across the street. He is then seen flying off the bonnet and onto a lamp post opposite the former Chronicle and Journal building, near the city's famous Bigg Market.

The incident happened just after 9pm on Saturday. Northumbria Police confirmed the occupants of the car made off from the scene, and an investigation is 'ongoing' to trace those involved. Acting Inspector Michelle Jahangiri said: "This is a very serious incident that happened in a very busy street in Newcastle city centre."This could have resulted in a very serious injury, and I would like to reiterate that this type of behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

So, Sara Davies, newest and youngest Dragon on the BBC’s long-running business beauty contest, Dragons’ Den, is it really your money you’re spending when, on the basis of a pitch lasting barely longer than an hour, by people who are strangers to you and your bank manager, you pledge an investment of, oooh, £150,000?‘Everyone asks me that!’ she shrieks. ‘Nobody ever thinks it is, but it is! Which is why I’ve really got to believe there’s something special in that business idea before I hand it over. To quote [former Dragon] Theo Paphitis, it’s my grandkids’ inheritance I’m spending out there.’ Even so, I bet it feels like Monopoly money, the sums being so large and the set-up so artificial and game-like. She pauses and narrows her eyes a headlight-like glare that suddenly whisks you straight into the Den, all tense background music and zooming camera lenses. ‘It’s not a game. When you’re in there and you’ve got them coming in on a hamster wheel, it can feel a bit like that, but we’re really competing to invest. And then at the end, you do have to sit down and write them a pretty big cheque.’ When I meet her, Sara, 35, whose County Durham-based company Crafter’s Companion is worth £34 million, has just finished filming her first series. And it’s fair to say she’s made a bit of a splash. In the first episode, we see her refusing to blink first as she plays hardball with old hands Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman. In teetering baby-pink heels and dramatic polka-dot dress, she is instantly a bigger presence than cautious Tej Lalvani or headmistress Deborah Meaden. And, boy, does she flex her purse strings. The first millennial Dragon and the first from the North East of England, she relaxes into her battered leather chair and immediately outspends all of them, to the tune of more than £500,000 across the series. (We’re sworn to secrecy on the details, but that figure does include one whopping investment of £150,000 to a single fledgeling company.) ‘I absolutely loved it,’ she says now, laughing. It was so exciting. I thought I’d spend a few days learning the ropes and finding my feet, but on day two of filming, two girls came in with an amazing product that was right in my space, and about ten minutes into their pitch I thought, right, I’m having this one.’ When I meet her, Sara, 35, whose County Durham-based company Crafter’s Companion is worth £34 million, has just finished filming her first series. And it’s fair to say she’s made a bit of a splash. In the first episode, we see her refusing to blink first as she plays hardball with old hands Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman. In teetering baby-pink heels and dramatic polka-dot dress, she is instantly a bigger presence than cautious Tej Lalvani or headmistress Deborah Meaden. And, boy, does she flex her purse strings. The first millennial Dragon and the first from the North East of England, she relaxes into her battered leather chair and immediately outspends all of them, to the tune of more than £500,000 across the series. (We’re sworn to secrecy on the details, but that figure does include one whopping investment of £150,000 to a single fledgeling company.) ‘I absolutely loved it,’ she says now, laughing.‘It was so exciting. I thought I’d spend a few days learning the ropes and finding my feet, but on day two of filming, two girls came in with an amazing product that was right in my space, and about ten minutes into their pitch I thought, right, I’m having this on.

’

Sara made her money by spotting an under-served market the millions of hobbyist crafters, largely women, who like to make greetings cards. A large part of her success, indeed, lies in refusing to under-estimate the power of those middle-aged women leading quietly productive lives around their kitchen tables.I’ve been under-estimated myself quite often,’ she says, ‘and in some ways I quite enjoy it. It’s always good when you prove people wrong.’ She started the company aged 21 from her bedroom at York University after work experience at a small crafting firm taught her the fundamentals of the industry and demonstrated a curious missing link in the DIY card-making process. Envelopes. No one had ever bothered to put serious thought into a tool for crafters to make envelopes. So Sara set about inventing the ‘Enveloper’, a template board which does just that.‘I did all the research and it was going to cost £30,000 to have all the tooling made to make them in plastic,’ she explains. ‘Which was fantastic, except I didn’t have £30,000 and I couldn’t get a loan for it. There had to be another way.’ With help from her engineer father, she got a local joiner to make them in MDF, and, although they weren’t as profitable that way, crafters bought them in their tens of thousands.

‘So eventually I had enough money to do them in plastic, and by then I had my sights set on the next product’ her best-selling ‘Ultimate’, a carry-case containing ten different crafting tools, and there are dozens of YouTube tutorials, all featuring Sara, on how to embellish, emboss, make boxes and bows. ‘That’s how I did it, organically. I’ve got a business that employs 200 staff that’s growing exponentially in the States and I’ve never had any outside investment.’ In fact, Crafter’s Companion is a bigger business in the U.S. than the UK thanks to her regular appearance on TV shopping channels, where her fast-talking, having-a-natter-over-a-cuppa shtick pulls in U.S. buyers.‘I’m much more self-confident than I used to be,’ says Sara, who was awarded an MBE in 2016. ‘When I was younger, I used to power dress I’d wear black and grey and suits all the time, to make it feel like I belonged.‘But that’s not really me. The real me likes to wear bright colours. I spend a lot of time in male-dominated business environments, and in this sea of grey suits, I’m wearing purple or bright blue. It makes you more memorable, but it’s also about staying true to yourself.’ More stressful than running the business, she says, is raising two children.‘Our Charlie is two, and Oliver is five. And I take my hat off to mothers who launch businesses when their kids are small. Bringing up little kids is incredibly demanding, not just time-wise but emotionally, too.

’

Husband Simon, 41, who came into the business in 2008, takes on the lion’s share of the childcare: Sara is at Crafter’s Companion’s U.S. headquarters in California six days a month, and often in mainland Europe for a few nights, too. In a particularly rich air miles bonanza, she once flew home from America just to take Oliver to the park, before flying to Germany 18 hours later.‘No mother ever gets away from mum guilt. But my aim is to get women to let it go a bit. I know I’m a good mum, my kids idolise me, and not being there seven days a week doesn’t change that fact. Rather than chastise ourselves for all the time we’re away, we should try to pat ourselves on the back for all the things we do well. I got to sports day this year. That’s a win.’ Her other top tip is to compartmentalise. ‘I can’t be with the boys all the time, but when I’m there, I’m 100 per cent there. I’ve never wanted to be one of these women who are answering emails while pushing the swing.’ And yet still the reason most women start their own companies are for the flexibility they gain when they start families. Female entrepreneurs have it tougher than men at every stage of their business journey, especially when it comes to money. If Sara is one of a new breed of female angel investors, the way in which her company began with far more ingenuity than money is not untypical. A third of new companies are founded by women, yet all-female firms get less than one per cent of total UK venture capital. On average, women launch businesses with 53 per cent less capital than men. If the problem lies in a start-up landscape where men don’t give money to a female-led business, the solution lies in increasing the number of female investors from its current lowly 14 per cent.‘I do think we have to start doing it for ourselves,’ says Sara, who was part of an all-female investing group before becoming the newest Dragon.‘We definitely bring something different to investment. Women have a natural nurturing streak which means we’re good at mentoring. You see it in the Den.

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‘Some entrepreneurs need an arm around their shoulder as much as a bit of money in their back pocket and women are especially good at that. We tend to have an emotional connection with a business.’ Whether such stereotypes are useful or not, her presence on Dragons’ Den will certainly serve to broaden the concept of what a highly successful British entrepreneur looks like. ‘I like investing in women, but ironically some of the investments I’ve made in the Den are in male-dominated types of business too. That suits me fine.‘People look at me and see a woman in the crafting industry and think I’m all nice and soft.‘And then they find out I’m the majority shareholder in the injection moulding company that makes the Ultimate and I have an excellent understanding of tooling manufacture, and they do a bit of a double-take.’ She laughs. ‘I like that. When you earn someone’s respect, it’s worth so much more than if it’s just given to you because of your gender.’

Tuesday, July 30

Once again, another West African country is laying claim to being the best country that makes jollof rice after coming out tops at the 2019 Jollof Competition in Washington, District of Columbia (DC), in the U.S.Carol Mabinty Khanu, a 26-year-old chef representing Sierra Leone, won this year’s competition held by Afropolitan Insights which saw hundreds of patrons in attendance. Liberia came second, Nigeria was third and Ghana took the fourth position in the competition which is in its third year. The competition has brought to the fore the endless debate as to which country has the best recipe for the popular African dish. Jollof is very popular in countries such as Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, and Liberia. But the fiercest battle over who has the best Jollof has mainly been between Ghana and Nigeria, with the fights extending to influential people like the British High Commissioners for Ghana, Nigeria and Gambia, as well as, politicians like the Nigerian vice president who were dragged into the controversy recently. Different Jollof competitions have been held across the world to find out which country has the best recipe. This year’s contest in Washington, D.C., which was held on July 6, 2019, was, as usual, highly patronized by scores of people, including those of the African Diaspora community worldwide.

Carol, from Masimera Chiefdom in Northern Sierra Leone, would later share her excitement at coming out tops at the contest.“I mean I couldn’t be more proud to win this competition, especially being in the DC metropolitan area, the African diaspora is very diverse here so it was an honour to have won and represented Sierra Leone and have us win the best Jollof amongst all these wonderful countries that competed,”.“My career as a security processing analyst for the VA has definitely taken much of my time, but I have to work so I can save and gain more capital which I can later use to invest in an authentic African/American/Caribbean restaurant,” she added. Having fallen in love with cooking at a really tender age, Khanu, who is chef and owner of Mabin’s Kitchen, participated in the previous Jollof competitions organized by Afropolitan Insights but did not win.“A loved one mentioned the Jollof Fest competition to me during its first year In DC and I did not hesitate to join, I love competing and cooking. I competed and came in second and place after Nigeria based on the presentation category, last year Liberia won based on popular votes.“I’m very competitive so I challenged myself to be more strategic and savvier for this year’s competition and I put my heart and soul into making the best Jollof possible. I also asked the coordinators to make the voting process as anonymous possible, so this year the Jollof were categorized based on colours, rather than countries to make it as fair as possible,” she said. Ishmael Osekre, the founder of Afropolitan Insights, creators of the festival said in an interview with TheAfricanDream.net: “We are incredibly joyful for Carol and we desire her and all other winners and individuals the greatest on their individual journeys, they all immensely contributed to the achievements tale that this festival has developed into given that we began in 2017.”

In May 2019, Catherine Ndinda, 22, won Miss Deaf Kenya and then went on to represent her country on the international stage where she clinched the enviable title of Miss Deaf Africa. Cate, as she is affectionately referred to among her peers and family members, emerged First Runner-Up at the Mr and Miss Deaf International that took place in St Petersburg, Russia, from July 7 to 15. Ndinda, a Business Management student at the Kenya Institute of Management in Nairobi attended the competition with Wilson Obange, who won the male category in the Kenyan competition.

Spearheaded by Bonita Leek in Las Vegas, NV, a 2005 Miss Deaf USA inspired the initiation of an international event where countless young women from around the world would compete to become Miss Deaf International (MDI).In early 2005, Adam Smith discovered the Miss Deaf World Pageant, which was located in Prague, Czech. The 2005 Miss Deaf USA winner was the first USA participant in this competition. At this event, Bonita Leek met with Pageant Directors from different countries. They expressed their desire to initiate and host a similar pageant in the USA as well as in other countries. The contest has since evolved into the powerful and inspiring Miss Deaf International, Inc., which advances and supports opportunities for young deaf women.On their return from Russia, Catherine and Wilson were received at the airport by their enthusiastic fans who carried banners with messages of praise. They also took time to take photos while displaying their awards from Russia. Miss & Mister Deaf International, Inc. is a non-profit organisation that pledges to empower and support today’s continually growing community of deaf women and men.

If you or anybody you know likes to bake cakes, then you’ll have heard of baking soda. It’s a wonderful ingredient and a kitchen cupboard staple, but did you know that baking powder actually has a huge catalogue of uses? Baking soda is an excellent odour eliminator; it can freshen, de-grease, revitalize, and even calm. Inspired by Shareably, here are eight of the best applications for baking soda. They’re quick and easy, use only two ingredients, and could radically change your health and beauty regime for the better.

1. Get rid of heartburn

If ingested, one or two teaspoons of baking soda mixed with a full glass of drinking water have the power to neutralize stomach acid. You’ll be bidding farewell to uncomfortable heartburn in no time.

2. Soothe razor burn

If you have sensitive skin and are prone to razor burn when you shave, then try mixing a full tablespoon of baking soda into one cup of water. Apply the smooth paste to the affected area and leave it for five minutes to work its magic. This remedy is gentle enough to be used up to three times per day.

3. Prevent gout and kidney stones

High levels of uric acid in the blood could be cause for concern; it could even result in kidney stones or gout. Baking soda in tablet form (ask your physician) can help lower these acid levels and could even help combat the metabolic effects of kidney disease.

4. Take care of your teeth

Did you know that baking soda can naturally whiten your teeth? And the recipe is delightful; mash a single ripe strawberry into a paste with half a teaspoon of baking soda. Use a soft toothbrush or a finger to spread the paste onto your teeth. When five minutes are up, brush your teeth like you normally would and rinse your mouth thoroughly. Just limit applications to a maximum of two per week in order to protect your tooth enamel.

5. Treat acne

If you are bothered by occasional acne flareups, then you can use a baking soda paste as a skin-drying agent. Mix enough baking soda with water to form a paste, then dab it onto the affected area to gently remove blemishes and treat surface-level pimples. Wash off with warm water and pat dry.

6. Alleviate ulcer pain

If you’ve ever been bothered by a painful stomach ulcer then you know how uncomfortable they can be! Baking soda can provide temporary relief due to its acid-neutralizing properties. Stir a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of warm drinking water. However, note that this is to relieve the pain and won’t fix the underlying problem. Be sure to talk to your physician.

7. Soothe aching feet

After spending a day on your feet, if your tootsies are screaming out for a break then mix three tablespoons of baking soda with warm water to create a luxurious, reviving foot bath. Gently massage your feet (or better yet, get someone else to do it!) for the very best results.

8. Deodorize!

Many modern deodorants contain aluminium and parabens, and some people like to steer clear of these amid fears that aluminium is cancer-causing. Baking soda, you’ll be pleased to hear, is a natural alternative for staying odour-free. Make a smooth, white paste with a little baking soda and tepid water; you could also add a few drops of essential oil for a pleasant fragrance. Use a brush to apply the mixture to your underarms. Shareably insists that this is not as messy as it sounds! So there you have it. Promote your baking soda from the kitchen cupboard to the bathroom cabinet, because there is so, so much you can do with this single, simple ingredient. Perhaps the best thing of all is that you’ll save so much money in the process. You’ve got nothing to lose!

A 60-year-old retired Russian engineer has baffled doctors after they discovered that he had lived his whole life with 'only half a brain'.While you might think that might limit you, the pensioner has served in the armed forces, raised a family, and has a university degree. Of course, you can't become an engineer without having a few smarts about you. Basically, the brain has - or is supposed to have - two hemispheres, left and right. This man was found to be missing the left hemisphere of his brain. A scan showed up a 'black hole' in his skull.

The medical staff who examined him believe that his cases are 'unique' but have agreed to respect the man's wishes for privacy and not reveal his identity. He also rejected their pleas for permission to perform further tests on him. One of the neurologists in Moscow who examined the man, Marina Anikina, said: "The man was admitted to a district clinic in the south of Moscow region due to an ischemic attack."This is a blood circulation failure in the brain. It is different from a stroke when part of the brain is irreversibly damaged."This patient had problems moving one arm and one leg. Radiologists performed computed tomography of his head and were puzzled for some time - the part of the brain of the retired man where the ischemia attack was supposed to have happened was not there at all."Instead of the left side of the brain, there was a black 'hole' in computer images."It appears that for the entirety of this man's life he had just relied on the right side of his brain to perform all tasks. Well, it seems to have gone OK for him. The man himself said that he just wants to be left alone. He told the doctors: "I have lived a normal life, nothing worried me at all.

"And now I do not want any kind of popularity."Fair enough. The patient grew up in the Soviet era and had no problems reported with his physical or mental state. He's got good eyesight and developed physically as any ordinary child. He did OK at school and managed to get an engineering degree before being conscripted into the Red Army. He married, had kids, and has now retired. So far, so normal. Dr Anikina continued: "Scientists are aware of certain cases when parts of the brain were missing."It often happens with the people who suffer from cerebral infantile paralysis."Their intellect is fine but almost always they have problems with moving around."In this recent case, we face a different situation when the failure in brain development took place at an earlier stage of pregnancy, possibly in the embryo."Maybe it was blood effusion or some other dramatic event. It usually leads to miscarriage but in this very unique case it ended quite successfully."At this stage of pregnancy, the functions of [the] embryo's brain are not assigned to certain centres in the brain."When one half was damaged, the second half simply got hold of all functions."She also noted that if the man had been conceived today - with technology we have to detect such problems - his mother would have been recommended to abort for medical reasons.

This is the moment a young man who was kidnapped as a toddler is reunited with his parents almost two decades later - after cops used FaceApp-style AI technology to show what he might look like now and found him.Footage shows a shy Yu Weifeng, 21, walking into a press conference where his parents see him for the first time in 18 years and burst into tears as they hug him on 18 July. Developed by Chinese tech and internet services giant Tencent, the AI used by the police was able to predict with high accuracy what the missing boy might look like now - much like the recently trending FaceApp.Cold-case investigators in Shenzhen's Futian District, which is in South China's Guangdong Province, were then able to couple the Tencent AI Lab predictions with existing facial recognition technology, helping them identify the subject they deemed to be the highest match. The software spent about two months sorting through nearly 100 candidates before singling out Weifeng, who is a student in the provincial capital Guangzhou

Investigator Zheng Zhenhai said: "When he found him, he refused to believe that he was a kidnapped child, but DNA confirmed that he was a match with his biological parents."Weifeng, whose adoptive parents had given him the family name Li, went missing on 6 May 2001 while playing near a construction site where his dad worked as a foreman. Zheng added: "We opened the case the day after the incident, and we never gave up. The technology was limited at the time. We checked surveillance footage, but there were simply too many people coming in and out of the area."

Weifeng's father Yu Xingquan and mother Rong Muhuan searched numerous cities but found no trace of their boy. At the press conference, they presented a number of missing person posters they had printed, which showed having offered rewards of up to 100,000 RMB (£11,600) for information. The emotional dad said at the reunion: "We're also very grateful to his foster parents for raising him for 18 years. From now on, his foster father will become like a brother to me; my son will have two dads." What a LAD. Futian police said they were still investigating details of the 2001 kidnapping, with no arrests announced so far. Weifeng himself did not reveal whether he had asked his adoptive parents for the truth about his past. It is also unclear whether Tencent planned to make the AI technology available to police across China.

Luke’s parents gave him a cellphone last year for his 10th birthday. Since then, the amount of time he spends playing video games on and off his phone has increased. Luke has gained weight and recently started refusing to play on his sports team after school, preferring to stay home and interact with peers online. His grades at school have also declined. Recently, Luke and his younger brother got into a physical fight after Luke’s brother “killed” his character in a first-person shooter game. With summer break in full swing, parents like Luke’s are concerned about their children spending more and more time on their devices. They are worried about how this might affect their child’s health. They wonder when (and if) they should draw the line. They often ask us, as psychology researchers and clinicians, “Is my child addicted to screens?”A few important considerations emerge in response to this question.

Addictions Are Not Limited to Drugs

Addiction is often characterized by a recurring desire to continue to take a substance despite harmful consequences. While the term addiction has traditionally been used in relation to substances such as alcohol and drugs, nonsubstance addictions—including behavioural addictions such as sex, gambling, and “video gaming”—are now recognized. When someone is addicted, the source of their addiction becomes their priority. Other important life activities (for instance sleeping, eating, and bathing) are neglected. Interests such as playing soccer or spending time with family and friends fall by the wayside. And when the source of the addiction is cut off, this triggers intense, negative, emotional reactions.

A Teenager Can Have an Addiction

Typically, behavioural addictions don’t apply to children under the age of 12 years. This is because the principle of addiction implies two important factors. First, the person has insight into the problematic nature of their use, requiring a sophisticated capacity for self-reflection. Second, the person must have the cognitive maturity and capacity to be expected to inhibit their behavioural responses. Stated differently, we would expect young children to have meltdowns in response to turning off a device and thus wouldn’t describe this as indicative of addiction. However, if a young person with a more developed capacity for reflection and self-regulation responded the same way, such as a 16-year-old, it means something very different.

Screen Addiction is Complex

According to the World Health Organization and many independent clinical scientists, human beings can be addicted to screens. “Gaming disorder” was introduced into the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, in 2018.Other prominent researchers have argued that digital addiction is a myth. However, as clinicians, it is our ethical obligation to take parents’ and children’s concerns seriously when they present them at the clinic with worries about problematic media use. The issue of being addicted to screens is complicated. First, the term “addiction” is loaded and is off-putting for some. There are also many sources of screens (smartphone, tablet, laptop, television), many types of media (social media, TV shows, games) and many ways to use them (active or passive, solitary or social). Addiction is also an extreme form of dependence and the term should not be used lightly. A comprehensive understanding of an individual’s context, behaviours, and the consequences of their actions is needed. Research into what makes some people more susceptible to addictions shows there are many possible pathways, including genetic and socio-relational factors such as stress. It is important to remember, however, that an increased risk for addiction doesn’t mean that one is destined to become addicted. Many individuals, social, and environmental factors can protect an individual from developing an addiction.

Recommended Screen-Time Limits

The American Academy of Pediatrics and Canadian Paediatric Society have both published guidelines for promoting healthy screen use. The following limits on screen time are recommended for young children: no screen time for children younger than two years (except for video-calling with friends and family); less than one hour per day of routine or regular screen time for children two to five years old; avoid screens for at least one hour before bedtime; maintain daily “screen-free” times, especially for family meals and reading books. Research on the impacts of screen time in older children and adolescents is still developing. Therefore, guidelines for school-aged children focus less on time limits and more on curating healthier engagement with digital media, but low to moderate screen time (under four hours per day) is encouraged.

What You Can Do as a Parent

The guidelines include helpful recommendations for parents:

1. Manage screen use. You can achieve this by creating a family media plan with individualized time and content limits and learning about parental controls and privacy settings. Other tips include co-viewing and talking about content with your children, discouraging the use of multiple devices at once, obtaining all passwords and log-in information, and discussing appropriate online behaviours.

2. Encourage meaningful screen use. This involves prioritizing daily (non-screen) routines over screen use and helping children and teens to choose age-appropriate content and to recognize problematic content or behaviours. You can become part of your children’s media lives and advocate for schools and child-care programs to consider developing their own plan for digital literacy and screen use.

3. Model healthy screen use. Review your own media habits and plan time for alternative play and activities. Encourage daily “screen-free” times. Turn off your own screens when they are not in use (including background TV). Avoid screens at least one hour before bedtime and discourage recreational screen use in bedrooms.

4. Monitor for signs of problematic use. These signs include complaints about being bored or unhappy without access to technology and oppositional behaviour in response to screen-time limits. Screen use that interferes with sleep, school, face-to-face interactions, offline play, and physical activities is also problematic, as are negative emotions following online interactions.

Integrate Screens Mindfully

We are fortunate to live in a time of such rapid technological innovation. These technologies open up tremendous opportunities for most (if not all) domains of life, including new and different opportunities for families to connect, engage, and bond. But we do need to be mindful of how we integrate these technologies into our lives and of the consequences they have on ourselves, our relationships, and our children. If you are concerned about digital media use in your family, we recommend that you develop a family media plan. You can also see your family physician or a clinical psychologist to discuss your concerns.

Monday, July 29

Omari McQueen was just 8-years old when he started his career as a vegan chef on his own YouTube channel after learning about veganism from a video shared by PETA UK, an animal rights organisation. A year prior, the young boy from London, England, had learned to cook from his mum and dad, and had soon begun helping with cooking for the family, especially when his mother fell ill.McQueen suddenly started presenting his own culinary creations to friends and family before starting his YouTube channel, ‘The Mari Maker Show’, where he “enthuses about homemade vegan dishes and shows fans at home how to recreate them in style.”In what is said to be his first video for the YouTube channel, McQueen filmed himself creating a vegan pizza but he thought it lacked some flavour, so he made his own first dip he called the Carribean Kick.

This led to his first entrepreneurial venture – a range of vegan dips – which has since expanded to include snacks, seasoning, and juice packs that he makes for sale. Today, at just 11, McQueen is the founder and CEO of his own plant-based restaurant called Dipalicious. The pop-up restaurant, Dipalicious, will be in Boxpark, Croydon, from August 17 to 24. Menu details have not yet been released, but McQueen has often shared vegan Caribbean food on his Instagram, such as BBQ jackfruit with breadfruit fries and curry, reports Live kindly.

“I can’t believe my dreams are coming true,” McQueen, who claims to be the youngest restaurateur in the world, recently wrote on his Instagram page. Since making his vegan pizza YouTube video, McQueen, the youngest award-winning vegan chef in the UK, has been teaching other children how to cook plant-based food in workshops he runs from home. He has also gained wide acclaim and has won several awards, including the TruLittle Hero Award for being the Entrepreneur Hero under 12 in 2018 by Cause4Children Ltd. Last November, he also won the Compassionate Kid Award from PETA for his work helping animals.“His compassion and his determination to create a better world for animals are a wonderful example for other kids – and adults – to follow,” said PETA director Elisa Allen in a statement. He also won the Proud & Gifted Award for his work as a vegan chef and youth empowerment speaker.McQueen has “gone from strength to strength and practices different cooking skills and meals daily, he researches the benefits of everything he cooks and works out the benefits of what he eats,” his website said.“I want to create food which everyone can enjoy,” said McQueen. “That’s what great food is all about, to me – it’s a way to bring people closer together, and that’s what I hope to do with Dipalicious,” he was quoted by AfroCulture.

His restaurant at Boxpark, a “pop-up mall” and street-food market, will be running for a week alongside other top vendors, including Dum Dum Donutterie, The Breakfast Club, and other vegan businesses, reports Totally Vegan Buzz. The young entrepreneur is optimistic that the step he has taken will promote veganism and cooking and also inspire young people.“Hard work always pays off…never underestimate your potential”, he once wrote on his Instagram page. When McQueen is not building his brand, he enjoys spending time at home with his family and loves to dance along to his musical hero Michael Jackson.

Gabrielle Louise was excited when her little son, Jeremiah, then nine months, was featured on Primark’s new baby range last year. Jeremiah, now 14 months old, became the pride of his family while his mother believed that the move to choose him for a major high street clothing line was a win for dark representation.“I think diversity is important in modelling as I don’t think there is much representation of dark-skinned people,’ Gabrielle said.“Jeremiah is from Nigerian and Ghanaian descent and I got him into modelling by signing him up to an agency.“My son is quite rare as he has dark skin and I really wanted people to know you can be dark but still so beautiful,” she explained.

The adorable baby’s amazing pictures soon went viral and everyone was loving it. This February, Jeremiah, almost one and a half years old, was able to spot a picture of himself at a Primark store. Since his Primark shoot, he has gone ahead to advertise for Rochelle Humes’ skincare company, a Pampers shoot, a skin and hair company, as well as fashion magazines.

Jeremiah was, however, not only restricted to the UK, as a newly-opened American Primark used his pictures in their Brooklyn store, making him go international.“It was very overwhelming seeing him in the Primark store for the first time, we were so proud and couldn’t believe our son was now the main model in a store and not just online,’ Gabrielle said.“We actually first saw him in a store in Brooklyn, New York, as someone sent us a picture via his Instagram page and then a few others sent us pictures from other stores around the UK. We didn’t actually know it was going to be in stores as we had waited so long since the campaign went live so we thought it would just be online.”

Jeremiah’s mother, who is also a talent manager, is hoping to work with more high-end products like Armani, or Hugo Boss.“They have no representation of dark-skinned babies. It would also be good to work with baby companies like Mothercare, Aptamil or Tommee Tippee as they mainly use white babies,” she said.

Harrison Duran, a 23-year-old student at the University of California at Merced, dug up a gigantic fossil of a Triceratops skull. It's 65 million years old. Duran said he was in "awe" when he discovered the fossil in North Carolina, calling it a "very surreal experience." Video of him on the dig shows him sweeping dirt with a small brush. Finding the fossil is a dream come true for Duran, who has loved dinosaurs since he was a kid. And today, his phone ringtone is the T. rex roar from "Jurassic Park."Duran said he hopes the fossil will go on display for everyone to see.